Lung surgery technique on Pope was developed in Spain

Thoracic surgeon Diego González Rivas, based in A Coruña, Spain, developed the Uniportal VATS technique, a minimally invasive procedure using a single incision, which was used in the pontiff’s surgery.

Pope Leo XIV’s lung operation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital has thrown the spotlight on the contribution of Spanish science to thoracic surgery. The procedure, carried out to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung, used the Uniportal VATS technique developed by Spanish surgeon Diego González Rivas.

“The Pope has already been operated on; he is on the ward with hardly any pain and recovering very well,” the surgeon said in a video released on social media. “The most interesting thing, and the reason why I feel deeply proud, is that he was operated on using our Uniportal VATS technique.”

González Rivas, who graduated in medicine and surgery from the University of Santiago de Compostela, explained that this is a technique developed in A Coruña in 2010 and that since then “it has been spreading around the globe, reaching 146 countries so far”.

The doctor expressed his satisfaction at the use of the technique he devised and at the fact that the operation was performed by the Gemelli team, with whose staff he said he has a close relationship. “Spain’s hallmark at the Vatican,” the physician concluded proudly.

The 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery on Tuesday, in an operation lasting around 90 minutes which, according to the Vatican, went smoothly and as planned. Leo XIV spent a “calm” night and woke up normally, while doctors await test results to determine whether the cancer has spread.

What the Uniportal VATS technique involves

Uniportal VATS is a minimally invasive thoracic surgery technique that allows surgeons to operate through a single small incision of between 3 and 5 centimetres. A video camera, which guides the operation, and specialised surgical instruments are introduced through this opening.

This method makes it possible to carry out complex procedures, such as removing part of a lung, as well as lung or pleural biopsies. Its main advantages include reduced post-operative pain, a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery.

However, its use requires thoracic surgeons with experience both in minimally invasive techniques and in conventional surgery, capable of dealing with possible complications during the operation and in the post-operative period.

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